In addition, before Ash competes in the Indigo League, a Trainer named [[Otoshi]] is shown in the episode ''[[EP073|Bad to the Bone]]''; he owns eight badges, but only shares four in common with Ash; later in the episode another Trainer is seen with eight other completely different badges altogether. In total, Ash, Gary, Otoshi and the other Trainer display 28<!-- Ash's 8 + Gary's extra 7 + Otoshi's extra 5 + that other Trainer's 8 --> different types of badges, so there must be at least this number of gyms in Kanto at the time, assuming they are all from the same region.

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In addition, before Ash competes in the Indigo League, a Trainer named [[Otoshi]] is shown in the episode ''[[EP073|Bad to the Bone]]''; he owns eight badges, but only shares four in common with Ash; later in the episode another Trainer is seen with eight other completely different badges altogether. In total, Ash, Gary, Otoshi and the other Trainer display 27<!-- Ash's 8 + Gary's extra 7 + Otoshi's extra 4 + that other Trainer's 8 --> different types of badges, so there must be at least this number of gyms in Kanto at the time, assuming they are all from the same region.

On closer inspection, Otoshi's badges each look somewhat similar to Ash's badges and only differ in size and shape. Similarly, what can be identified as a Soul Badge, Thunder Badge, Marsh Badge, and Volcano Badge slide across the screen every time his Marowak knocks out a Pokémon in his flashback. His badges are in this order from upper-left to bottom-right: Thunder, ? (Rainbow), Cascade, Volcano, Marsh, Soul, Boulder, and Earth. This hints that there may be different varieties of the same badge.

On closer inspection, Otoshi's badges each look somewhat similar to Ash's badges and only differ in size and shape. Similarly, what can be identified as a Soul Badge, Thunder Badge, Marsh Badge, and Volcano Badge slide across the screen every time his Marowak knocks out a Pokémon in his flashback. His badges are in this order from upper-left to bottom-right: Thunder, ? (Rainbow), Cascade, Volcano, Marsh, Soul, Boulder, and Earth. This hints that there may be different varieties of the same badge.

A badge (Japanese: バッジbadge) is an item which denotes a Pokémon Trainer as having defeated a Gym Leader. Trainers need to collect a certain number of gym badges in order to qualify for a region's Pokémon League. Young Trainers usually begin their initial Pokémon journey by traveling from city to city in order to collect them. Badges are small enough to fit easily between one's thumb and index finger and can be pinned to a shirt or kept in a badge case.

In the games, Badges affect a Pokémon's behavior. A symbol of competence on the Trainer's part, badges force traded Pokémon under a certain level to obey. Additionally, Trainers cannot have a Pokémon use an HM move outside battle without the appropriate badge. Also, beginning in Generation IV, the number of badges a Trainer possesses affects the items that various Poké Marts will sell. The more badges, the more expensive and rare items become available for purchase.

Sinnoh League

When badges are touched in the games, they play a single note, and will make a C major scale when all eight are collected. When a player rubs the stylus across them numerous times to polish them (they gradually tarnish), they will begin to shine. This process can be continued until four sparkles are visible. The notes are also the most clearly defined and accurately tuned when there are four sparkles.

Unlike previous generations, these badges apparently do not affect stats; if they do, no one informs the player of this fact. Furthermore, it is the number of badges that determines which Pokémon obey the Trainer, rather than the badges themselves (this distinction is important owing to the fact that the order of obtaining the Cobble, Fen, and Relic Badges can differ). For every second badge the maximum level of obeying Pokémon increases (2 badges - Level 30; 4 badges - Level 50; 6 badges - Level 70; 8 badges - Level 100). The number of badges collected also affects what the player can purchase in Pokémarts.

In the anime

The anime has a few different rules for badges than in the games. Primarily, badges seem to do nothing beside signify the defeat of a given Gym Leader. A Pokémon may choose not to obey its Trainer even if he or she has gained all eight badges, such as Ash's Charizard.

Gym Leaders are quite lenient about giving out badges in the Anime. Additionally, Trainers do not necessarily have to win a battle with the Gym Leader in order to earn a badge. The Orange Crew, for example, all have entire Gym matches devoted to unconventional battling styles and Ash Ketchum was awarded several badges because of his kind heart and determination.

Participation in the Indigo Plateau Conference yields a final Indigo League badge at the closing ceremony. It is larger, however, and square shaped.

Pokémon Tech, a boarding school which educates Pokémon Trainers, is an expensive school for children of wealthy families. Moving up a grade in Pokémon Tech is the equivalent of winning two Gym badges. Upon graduation, students may immediately apply for entry in the Pokémon League.

Trainers can take a three-part test that awards a single badge which allows entry into the Pokémon League, as seen in The Ultimate Test. The test is called the Pokémon League Admissions Exam. It is convenient for people whose age, health, or work keeps them from traveling around to collect badges.

It's also implied in the anime that a Gym Badge serves as a primary ID for a Gym Leader (and probably a secondary ID for a Trainer), as Brock used his Boulder Badge to identify himself in order to clear his name from any accusations of stealing parts from a machine shop in Cerulean City.

So far, Ash Ketchum has only obtained badges that are available in the games, with the notable exception of those he obtained in the Orange Archipelago. Several unknown badges can be seen at the beginning of Mystery at the Lighthouse, while many Trainers Ash has met have had badges that differ from those that are obtainable in the games. This suggests that there are gyms in locations which do not appear in the games and therefore more than eight gyms in each region. Trainers with badges not seen in the games include:

Gary

Gary Oak acquired more than the standard eight Kanto League badges, thus leading to confusion as to whether or not there is an infinite number of badges that can be given out in a given region. By The Battle of the Badge, he is shown to have at least ten badges, only three of which correspond to known Kanto league badges, suggesting there are at least fifteen gyms in Kanto. This would, therefore, provide one gym for each of the (at the time) fifteen types. Among these may include the Fighting Dojo, a gym shown to be defunct by Pokémon Red and Blue.

Otoshi

In addition, before Ash competes in the Indigo League, a Trainer named Otoshi is shown in the episode Bad to the Bone; he owns eight badges, but only shares four in common with Ash; later in the episode another Trainer is seen with eight other completely different badges altogether. In total, Ash, Gary, Otoshi and the other Trainer display 27 different types of badges, so there must be at least this number of gyms in Kanto at the time, assuming they are all from the same region.

On closer inspection, Otoshi's badges each look somewhat similar to Ash's badges and only differ in size and shape. Similarly, what can be identified as a Soul Badge, Thunder Badge, Marsh Badge, and Volcano Badge slide across the screen every time his Marowak knocks out a Pokémon in his flashback. His badges are in this order from upper-left to bottom-right: Thunder, ? (Rainbow), Cascade, Volcano, Marsh, Soul, Boulder, and Earth. This hints that there may be different varieties of the same badge.

Later, during Ash's Johto League challenge, he is given what is referred to in the show as the "Silver Wing Badge"; however, this is not an official gym badge and is not recognized in the games as a badge at all, but rather an item used to make Lugia appear in the Whirl Islands.

Morrison

At the Hoenn Pokémon League Championship in Saved by the Beldum!, Morrison is shown to have an eighth badge different from Ash's, suggesting that there are at least nine gyms in Hoenn.

Mismagius

In Ash's dream in Malice in Wonderland, Ash has many badges that haven't been on-screen before, as well as some older badges. Considering it was only a dream, it is probable that some of the badges seen don't exist at all.

Barry

In Barry's Busting Out All Over!, it shows that Barry has three badges. While the Forest Badge and the Mine Badge are no different, Barry has a third badge that is different from the eight Sinnoh badges. In DP163, Barry was revealed to have obtained eight badges already, two more of which are different. This could imply that there are at least eleven Gyms in Sinnoh. The possibility of more Sinnoh Gyms is further supported by something Tower Tycoon Palmer says to Ash in Challenging a Towering Figure!. After the Twinleaf Festival is coming to a close, and Ash and the gang prepares to depart, Palmer asks Ash about the Pokémon League. Ash says that he needs just one last badge. Palmer than suggests (or something to that effect) that Ash choose Sunyshore to be his final badge, as if there were other possible choices. The same unknown red badge that Barry owns is shown at the end of DP182.

Nando

In DP174 it is revealed that Nando has acquired seven badges. Nando has two badges that are the same as two of Barry's unknown badges.

In the Pokémon Adventures manga

In Pokémon Adventures, badges have mystical and mysterious qualities that can somehow increase the power of the Pokémon owned by the Trainer who wields the badges, just as the Boulder Badge increases the Pokémon's Attack stat in the games. In addition, badges that don't allow higher leveled Pokémon to obey, such as the Soul Badge, do indeed allow the wearer to control even legendary Pokémon such as Articuno.

It is not known what sort of material badges are made of, but it has been confirmed that the badges Gym Leaders each own a badge made of different material than the kind given out to normal trainers, as that is how the Masked Man's identity was narrowed down to among the 16 known Gym Leaders when Ataro scraped off a part of his hidden badge with its Scratch attack.

Team Rocket used seven Kanto Gym badges to power a machine that combined Articuno, Zapdos and Moltres into a single beast. The machine also had a secret slot for the Earth Badge, which Lance manipulated to further his own goals by turning Cerise Island into a giant badge energy amplifier to fuel the legendary Lugia with.

Badges are not required to enter the Pokémon League tournament; however, without eight badges corresponding to their home region, a Trainer must battle their way in to qualify for the finals.

In the Electric Tale of Pikachu manga

In the Electric Tale of Pikachu, badges work in a way similar to the anime, however, there are some minor differences. All badges have the Pokémon League logo printed on them.

In addition, Pokémon Trainers are organized by class, much like Pokémon Tech "Class D", "Class C" and so forth. Badges increase the the rank of the Trainer who owns them. Ash once believed that he could increase his rank by capturing rare wild Pokémon, however this was not the case.

Trivia

In Pokémon Live!, Giovanni offers the Diamond Badge to trainers who defeat him. He gives Ash the Diamond Badge prior to the battle, believing that Ash will never win. However, Ash defeats Giovanni with Mewtwo's assistance, proceeding to give the Diamond Badge to Misty as a belated birthday gift. Pokémon Live! is not in continuity with the anime, and the Diamond Badge is not mentioned elsewhere in the series. However, it is the inspiration for DiamondShipping's name.

With the exception of the Rainbow Badge and Rising Badge, all badges were renamed for audiences outside of Japan before Generation III. Generation III was the first time none were renamed, and this continued in Generation IV with the exception of the Icicle Badge, which had been the Glacier Badge in Japan. This was changed due to the fact that the badge of Mahogany Town is called the Glacier Badge in English, while it is called the Ice Badge in Japan.

In the Pokémon Project Studio Red and Blue computer programs, the Soul and Marsh Badges' names are reversed, with the pink heart-shaped badge being the Marsh Badge and the yellow circular badge being the Soul Badge. This appears to be because of an initial error in naming the badges in Red and Blue. A soul would be more attuned to Psychic-type abilities and one finds poisonous gases in a marsh.

The Orange League is the only known Pokémon League with fewer than 8 badges.

With the exception of the Earth Badge, obtaining a region's eighth badge enables the use of HM07 (Waterfall) outside of battle. In Kanto, the Volcano Badge, its seventh badge, enables the use of Waterfall, while the Earth Badge would technically enable the use of HM08 (Dive), if it could be used outside of battle.

The Japanese names of the Kanto badges are all colors, following the color pattern for the town and city names.

Surprisingly, it is possible to obtain certain badges in a non-linear order. The most notable example of this are the Kanto badges in Generation II and IV, which can be obtained in virtually any order, although the Earth Badge must be obtained last in Generation IV.